


A Soul Unbound

by Sybaen



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 10:47:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22968697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sybaen/pseuds/Sybaen
Summary: Ruby's dream has always been to escape her bonds; to leave behind the shackles of her disabled body and become a huntress like her mother. One fateful day while visiting her sister in Vale, the opportunity to make her dream come true is laid before her. All she must do is accept this strange girl's offer… and sacrifice everything in exchange. (MHA-esque AU)
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 23
Kudos: 84





	1. Fragile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut will be included in the Ao3 version. FFN will be clean.

A gentle breeze rolled over the cold, deep blue waters off the shores of Vale, lightly ruffling the hair of the young girl that relaxed on the bench. She leaned forward, hands trembling as they tightly gripped the park bench to keep herself balanced. A soft smile played at her lips while her eyes remained closed, likely picturing herself in a far off place.

An older blond leaned against a nearby tree, watching her sister and the waves in equal turns. A smile of her own crossed her lips, spurred on by the look of pure joy that the younger girl wore. It was rare for the two of them to have so pure a moment these days. Only one day remained before she would be joining Beacon and staying in the dorms, no longer able to take care of her younger sibling.

Ruby sighed as the breeze began to die down once more, and leaned back on the bench to ease the weight off her aching forearms. A pair of silver eyes turned to Yang with that same smile, though now it had turned slightly sheepish, "Yaaang…?"

Yang returned the smiled dotingly, "Where to next, Rubes?"

Ruby's eyes lit up, and she pointed off in the distance towards a point where the land jutted out further into the ocean, "Can we try over there…? The breeze isn't very strong over here…"

Yang chuckled quietly and moved to grab her sister's wheelchair from where it had been leaning against the bench, "Sure thing, sis," she folded the wheelchair back open and moved it up next to the bench, watching as Ruby slowly struggled to work her way into it, "Do you want help?"

"N-no, I'm fine," Ruby replied weakly. She positioned her hands, one on the bench and one on the chair in order to spin herself around. Yang held it tightly in place, providing a solid foundation for Ruby to use. After a few seconds and some slight labored breathing, the younger girl managed to inch her way on to the wheelchair.

Yang backed it up out of the grass slowly and back on to the long path winding down the shoreline, "This is the last stop, alright? We both know we're already pressing our luck. If dad gets back to the hotel before we do…"

"I-I know!" Ruby stammered worriedly, turning to look over her shoulder and give Yang a pair of large silver eyes, "Last one, I promise!"

Yang grinned and leaned forward to plop a wet kiss on her sister's forehead, eliciting an immediate 'ew gross!' from the younger girl, "One of these days I'll work up an immunity to those eyes of yours, Ruby Rose. Then what will you do?" She began pushing her along the path towards their chosen destination.

Ruby giggled, "Use them on Dad instead?"

Yang laughed. Their old man and uncle had never been able to deny Ruby anything… ' _Not when she was already denied a normal life…_ ' Her sister had been paralyzed from the waist down since birth, the rest of her body too feeble to get around on her own for long, even with a wheelchair.

Ruby nervously played with her fingers in her lap, a sign that Yang was all too familiar with when it came to her little sister. She had always been afraid of asking for things, feeling as if she was a burden on the rest of them. No matter how hard Yang tried to convince her that there wasn't a resentful bone in her body, Ruby had never outlived that fear.

With a hand falling to lightly rest on her sister's shoulder, Yang kept her voice soothing as she spoke, "What's wrong, Rubes? Get it off your chest."

Ruby's hand raised to hold Yang's in place, fingers unnaturally cold from poor circulation, "Y-you… you're going to call, right…? Once you pass the exam and make it into Beacon? You won't… forget about me…?"

Yang stopped the wheelchair in place and lowered herself across the back to hug Ruby from behind, squeezing her as tightly as she dared, "I'll _never_ forget you, Ruby. I'll call every night, okay? Not just voice, either. Video and everything. And if I make any new friends, I'll bring them home first chance I get so they can meet my awesome little sister."

Though Ruby refused to turn around, Yang felt a tear fall on top of her arm, and hugged her just a little bit tighter, "And once I'm a big shot Hero, when _everyone_ knows my name, I'll make sure they know _exactly_ who it was that inspired me."

Ruby's chest shook, and Yang could hear the tremble in her throat as she drew breath. Her hands raised to wrap around Yang's, leaning forward to rest her head against them, "You really mean t-that?"

Yang chuckled, "Of course! Where would I be without your constant encouragement? I would have given up years ago!"

Ruby slapped Yang's hand playfully, letting out a choked laugh, "Don't say that! You would have been fine without me!"

Yang's eyes narrowed, hearing the unspoken words, the truth that her sister wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to, ' _You would have been_ _**better**_ _without me._ '

It was Yang's turn to give a gentle slap, this one on top of the younger girl's head, "Ruby. Rose... I would be _nowhere_ without you, and don't you forget that," she resumed pushing the wheelchair, realizing as the sun's rays began to fall beneath the waves that the hour was getting late, "For what is a poet without their muse? A beginning without an end? A guitar without its strings?"

"A B.L.T. without bacon?"

Yang snorted, "Hah! Good one, sis~"

As they neared the cape, Yang spared a glance to their surroundings. The strip of land jutting out over the water appeared safe enough, the waves crashing against the cliff face not reaching anywhere near the top. Aside from them, a dozen others stood on the cape, many simply looking out to sea while others took photos.

With no benches to speak of, Yang pushed the wheelchair a few feet from the edge. From here, the breeze held much more force behind it, and Ruby was already leaning forward happily. She enjoyed the wind above all else, always imagining herself moving at incredible speeds. In contrast to the debilitating life Ruby was forced to live, Yang could understand her desire perfectly.

Yang locked the breaks and relaxed, crossing her arms to smile at Ruby while she basked in the breeze. She felt a small stab of sorrow in her heart, knowing that she wouldn't be able to see Ruby for months. Not in person, anyway. They had grown up in a small town off the coast of Vale called Patch. The only form of transportation there was the ferry, an eight hour trip that she simply wouldn't have the time for.

' _And there's no way I can afford a roundtrip on a Bullhead…_ '

Ruby broke Yang away from her thoughts by turning to look back with a small, sheepish grin, "Yaaaang…?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

The young girl poked her index fingers together nervously, silver eyes darting past Yang into the distance, "Do you think… you could… _maaaaaybe_ … buy us some ice cream cones?"

Yang followed her gaze, off the cape and across the park to the streets beyond. There, outside walls splashed in a colorful display and imagery depicting what lay within, sat an ice cream shop. Yang smirked and checked her wallet, counting out the lien she had left for the week, ' _Five… ten… eleven..._ ' It would leave her short for a few days if she paid for both of them, but considering the occasion...

"Yeah, we can get some."

Yang leaned down to begin unlocking the brakes on the wheelchair when Ruby's frail hand stopped her, "C… Can I stay here while you do…? Patch doesn't have a shore as nice as this one…"

Yang frowned and recrossed her arms, "You want me to leave you here all _alone_? What if-"

"There hasn't been a Grimm attack in weeks, Yang!" Ruby pleaded, reverting to her silver eyes once more, "I'll be fine, really. We don't have much time left, and… I just wanna enjoy this while it lasts…"

Yang huffed, biting her lip while her eyes went back and forth a few times between Ruby and the shop. Indecision eating away at her, the desire to protect Ruby and make her happy conflicting with each other.

' _It… it has been a few weeks, hasn't it?_ ' While that was no guarantee that the Grimm weren't going to appear, it did add _some_ small bit of merit to Ruby's proposal. Yang sighed and leaned forward, planting another kiss on top of her head, "Alright, you win. What flavor do you want?"

Ruby beamed, "Strawberry!"

"One strawberry comin' up!" Yang took a moment to double check that the locks were tightly secured, then promised she'd return shortly.

Yang set off, heading away from the cape and across the park to the ice cream shop in the distance. The street was busy, both traffic and other pedestrians alike between her and the shop. Yang waited until it was clear to cross, and stepped into the ice cream parlor to the sound of a small jingling bell.

' _Great…_ ' the shop was packed with dozens of families that filled the interior to the brim, the line itself nearly continuing out the door. With a resigned sigh, Yang took her place and pulled out her scroll to check the time, ' _I don't know what else I expected on a Saturday._ '

Yang nervously tapped her foot while she waited, checking her scroll every few minutes. The line moved forward painstakingly slow, the thought of Ruby out near the cliff all alone causing Yang's mind to think of all manner of accidents that might befall the fragile girl. It only served to have her on the edge of bolting out the door to check on her by the time her turn rolled around.

"What can I get for you, miss?"

Yang was startled for a moment, realizing she was the one being spoken to while her eyes had been glued on the door, "O-oh! A strawberry cone, please…" she breathed out, aware that she'd forgotten to choose a flavor for herself while she waited. Yang just picked one at random, far too concerned with her sister's wellbeing to care what she got, "Um, and one of that. Rocky Road or whatever."

"Certainly," the server pulled out a scoop and began filling up both the cones, then stacked the globes of frozen, sugary cream three tall on each.

Yang followed along the countertop to the register and pulled out her wallet, waiting for the man to add up her total before pulling out the necessary lien. She slid the bills across with a distracted, "Keep the change," then reached out for the cones.

A cacophony of high pitched screams erupted from outside the shop, and Yang's heart dropped in her chest. The ice cream splattered against the counter as she let it fall, already halfway out the door before anyone else within the small shop could even react. She burst out on to the sidewalk and was immediately caught in the throng of panicked citizens.

An earth shattering roar deafened their cries, echoing across the city as the wind itself began to buffet those on the street. Powerful wings flapped one last time before a beam of verdant green energy sliced through powerful muscles and bone. The draconic Grimm plummeted out of the air, tail slamming into the nearby rooftops and scattering tons of cement down upon helpless civilians. The ground shook as the dragon made contact, huge furrows of dirt and trees plowed up in its wake.

Yang fought to cross the sidewalk, battered from every direction by those screaming in panic. The street itself was another matter. Cars flew past, ushered on by the behemoth that had so recently landed in their midst. Yang's eyes scoured past them, through the park and towards the cliff. With the hulking mass of black flesh and white bone now between her and Ruby though, she couldn't see hide nor hair of her little sister.

' _Why didn't I bring my weapons!?_ ' A couple shots of gravity dust would get her clear of the busy street in moments, but Yang had left her gauntlets back at the hotel, thinking they wouldn't be necessary today of all days, ' _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ '

Yang's eyes darted back and forth, looking for an opening while the battle continued a hundred feet ahead of her. A speck of green and orange flew about the creature's head, firing down upon it with those same verdant blasts. The dragon fought for its life, thrashing towards the sky with three foot long talons, and snapping powerful jaws into the air. Each snap sounded like hundreds of coffins shutting at once, booming out across the surrounding landscape.

Seeing an opening, Yang summoned her courage and sprinted across the street. She managed to narrowly avoid the first car, but wasn't quick enough to evade the second. It clipped her leg at the last moment, sending her careening into the crowd on the opposite side. Pain flashed through Yang's body, but she knew her aura had taken the brunt of the damage. Gritting her teeth, she stood on her bruised leg and began to jog into the park.

Yang kept a wary eye on the fight ahead. Everyone else had fled the area, leaving the park a desolate landscape in which the behemoth fought. Great globs of blood fell to the ground, pooling in the furrows it had created and steaming with a pungent stench. Yang skirted around those as best she could.

The green figure in the sky appeared intent on leading the beast away from the city. Yang's blood turned to ice when she realized where exactly they were headed. Adrenaline surging into her system, she increased her pace until she was sprinting around trees and leaping over holes in the ground.

The Grimm was bleeding heavily, the pools now spaced in much smaller intervals. It's movements had slowed, though it still fought for its life with everything it had. The fight had moved to the beginning of the cape, and Yang's heart dropped with the sudden realization that she was cut off from Ruby. The monster's body extended too far in either direction, and the fight moved further still.

In desperation, Yang cupped her hands together and screamed into the sky, hoping that the Hero could hear her cries from so far below. She waved her arms high, jumping up and down on her injured leg. As far as she could tell... they hadn't noticed her.

"No, no, no, _no!_ " Yang ran along the side of the shore, trying to get sight on the end of the cape. Maybe, just _maybe_ , one of the other people had taken Ruby to safety. Nothing else could distract Yang's mind aside from that one, singular hope.

' _Please!_ ' she begged whatever gods existed one final time as she stopped to turn, certain that her unasked question would be answered, one way or the other.

…

A wheelchair tipped on its side. Her little sister helplessly dragging herself away from the behemoth bearing down on her.

Yang screamed, even as the cliff itself gave way…

And Ruby was lost to sight beneath both waves and rubble.

* * *

The scream continued as she woke, body tense and eyes wet, to be greeted by the familiar darkness of her dorm room. Immediately, a pair of hands reached out from nearby to wrap her in a hug, a voice making soft, soothing noises that helped pull Yang back from her nightmare.

"Shhhhh, it's okay. It's okay," Blake whispered quietly, pulling Yang back down into her embrace. Yang accepted, tucking her tear stained face into the nape of her girlfriend's neck and clutching her tightly, violent sobs racking her body.

" _Why!?_ " Yang gasped, struggling to come to terms with the nightmare that still managed to haunt her so many months later. It had been two full years since her sister had tragically passed away, but even now she could remember it as if it had happened only yesterday.

"We both know why, Yang," Blake whispered, hands gently rubbing across the blond's back in an attempt to sooth her, "It… it was _today_ , right? This is the anniversary?"

Yang could only nod weakly, rubbing her tear-stained face against Blake. The other girl understood the gesture well enough, and laid a delicate kiss against the blond's forehead, "I'm here for you, Yang. You don't have to go through it alone. Not this year."

Doing her best to bring her emotions back under control, Yang pulled away enough to wipe a forearm across her face and gaze blearily into Blake's amber eyes. She struggled to bring the briefest hint of a smile to her lips before leaning back down and planting them on Blake's for a small, tender moment.

"Thanks, Blake…"

Blake sighed wistfully when their lips parted and nuzzled her forehead against Yang's, staring straight back, "It's the least I could do after everything you've done for me…"

Yang returned to her previous position, allowing the overwhelming guilt and pain to be washed away by Blake's loving embrace. They lay there for quite some time, Blake content with simply holding her to her heart's content. Yang knew she was lucky to have ever even _met_ the girl, let alone date her for the past six months. She might have issues of her own, but then again… who didn't?

With one final tight squeeze, Yang breathed out deeply and relaxed, pulling away from Blake to sit on the edge of their bed. A dim reddish glow lit the room, the sunrise managing to peek its way through a crack in the blinds. Yang stood and stretched, feeling some of the tension leave her body.

"Do you want to head into town for some breakfast? I need to visit… where it happened…" Yang smelled the cold sweat she had worked up while in the throes of her nightmares and wrinkled her nose, glancing off to the bathroom then back to Blake, a small glimmer in her eye, "But… maybe a shower first?"

Blake grinned and hopped up, fingers lightly trailing up Yang's back in passing, "How could I refuse?"

Yang stared at her girlfriend's swaying hips for only a moment before following after.

' _What better way to take my mind off things?_ '

* * *

The sun had risen fully and burnt away the chill morning air by the time Yang and Blake both exited the small diner they had visited. They were both dressed in casual clothes, unwilling to be recognized while out and about on a day off. While both were still students, each had managed to make a name for themselves in the previous year's Vytal Tournament. They weren't as popular as most of the well known Heroes that patrolled the city, but it wasn't an unusual occurrence to find either of them taking a picture with a doting fan.

Yang had made sure her signature hair was hidden in her orange hoodie before they left, a ponytail being the best means of guaranteeing that no strands fell free. Lilac eyes scoured the streets around them, hand searching out Blake's for comfort as she set her sights on the all too familiar cliff.

Blake took her hand immediately, warm fingers entwining with Yang's own as she bumped up against her. The raven-haired girl followed Yang's eyes into the distance, seeing the cracked and weathered cliff face ahead. Her voice was quiet, carrying with it the hint of sorrow, "Is that it? Is that… where it happened?"

Yang's grip tightened, and she nodded numbly, "That's it. The last place I ever…" her voice choked up, tears falling unbidden across slowly paling cheeks.

Blake lightly pressed forward, ushering Yang to do the same as the blond moved painstakingly closer to the place where her life had changed forever. The park's trees had been replanted, soil leveled once more. After two years, you couldn't tell that a battle had taken place there, let alone one of such epic proportions. The only sign was the cliff itself, now much shorter than it had been before.

Yang's eyes fell on the small stone spire that had been built along the cliff's edge, a monument to those that had died that day. Ruby hadn't been the only one to perish at the hands of the Grimm, the battle having lasted much longer than the brief few minutes before its eventual end. The monument itself had one smooth face, the names of the deceased inscribed upon it. As Yang approached, she averted her gaze, fearing to find her own sister's name among them, fearing the knowledge of how many others had lost as much as she had.

Aside from the two of them, a few others could be seen dotting the area. Yang spotted an older man kneeling near the monument. He held a bouquet in his hands, and gently lowered it to lie before the stone spire. A mother and father, both weeping silently while they stared at one of the many names that decorated its surface. Lastly, a girl in a white cloak stood near the edge of the cliff, though her gender was all that Yang could make out. It was in a similar style to what a student from Atlas might wear, and the most out of place among those gathered.

Yang averted her gaze back to the monument as the older man and the couple left, leaving the area mostly free for herself and Blake. She moved to stand before it, finally working up the courage to scour its surface for what she sought. Her heart fell in her chest, and her eyes brimmed anew.

'Ruby Rose' had been etched into the stone's surface, one out of dozens of others. Blake's support around her shoulders was the only thing that kept the blond from falling to her knees, from losing herself to the wave of misery that crashed over her like the waves below.

"I-... I'm so sorry, Ruby. I was supposed to protect you... Dad trusted me to take care of you and… and I failed," Yang couldn't keep the anguish from her voice, eyes locked on to the name that had been etched in stone. Tears began to pour more steadily down her cheeks, brought on more fiercely as she allowed herself to succumb to her emotions, "All the times you were sad, and I had to fight so _hard_ just to make you laugh or smile… I would do _anything_ to get that back! Y-... you never believed it… but you really were the best thing in my life…"

Blake pulled Yang into her chest as the blond broke down, letting Yang once more cry to her heart's content as she had that morning. Yang's fingers gripped the fabric of her clothes tightly, holding on to the last thing in her life that she had to believe would never leave her, would never judge her on her past mistakes.

Yang felt Blake's arms tighten around her, felt the hand drift up until it pressed against the back of her head, helping to hide her shame against the other girl's chest. They remained there for several minutes, Yang allowing the grief to run its course, yet glad she was fortunate enough to have someone to share the moment with. ' _If only we'd found each other sooner…_ '

After everything that happened, her own father had dropped contact with her, leaving Yang both scared and alone in an imperfect world. She'd been forced to throw herself head first into training, struggling for all she was worth to keep her mind off her guilt, while also fulfilling the promise she had made.

Two years had gone by, and while the guilt had never quite dissipated, Yang was on the fast track to becoming what Ruby herself had always wanted to be… a Hero that others could look up to.

' _She wouldn't want to see you like this…_ '

Yang wiped away her tears, taking a few final moments to get herself back under control. With Blake's assistance, she stood on trembling legs to once more face the monument, and find Ruby's name among the others. Yang raised a hand to it, trailing her finger overtop the letters that had been engraved there. The stone itself was slightly damp, the salty ocean breeze carrying enough moisture with it to coat the monument. It was almost fitting… as if the stone itself was crying for those lost.

* * *

The pair sat silently in their room, Blake atop the bed with her back to the headboard, reading one of the many books that decorated their shared shelf. Yang had wiled away quite a few hours with her girlfriend that way, both reading in a companionable silence, enjoying each other's presence despite the lack of interaction. It was calming, simply knowing the other person was there with you.

At the moment though, Yang's hands were busy with her tools. Ember Celica lay before her, pulled apart to allow access to its inner workings. She didn't allow a week to go by without making sure her babies were cleaned of any dirt or grime, and could _never_ be seen without them. She had paid much to learn that lesson... a lesson that she wouldn't forget until the day she died.

' _Always be prepared._ '

Yang heard Blake let out a contented sigh before she placed a bookmark between the pages of her book and set it aside.

"Good read?"

Blake made a small 'hmm' in her throat, eyes trailing back down to it, "It's… alright, I suppose. Jaune recommended it to me, but the story is basically just wish fulfillment. The character is dull and bland, yet somehow manages to catch the eye of so many girls…" she shrugged, "Can't say I mind that _too_ much, though~"

Yang pretended to be offended, setting aside her screwdriver to place a hand to her chest, "Are you… cheating on me with _paper!?_ "

Blake scoffed lightly, a delicate smirk playing at her lips, "Oh, please. If anything, I'm cheating on paper with you~"

Yang put a hand to her chin, eyes sparkling in amusement, "Is that so? I don't really mind being the mistress…"

Blake sighed wistfully, "Books just don't have the curves you do. It's a pity, really," she got off the bed to move over to Yang, wrapping her arms around the other girl's back from behind and placing a warm cheek against hers, "The words on a page can manage to get me all riled up, but they can't quite satiate that _need_ they create…"

Yang's heart beat quickly, breath coming out in shallow pants while Blake continued to nuzzle against her, "W-weren't you reading that in Oobleck's class? I had no idea you could be so naughty…"

Blake giggled and pulled back slightly to whisper in her ear, "That _is_ my favorite word…~" before nipping at her earlobe.

Yang spun her chair around to grab Blake by the waist and pull her forward, forcing her girlfriend to straddle her. Yang didn't care how awkward the position was. She was too busy enjoying the feeling of their lips pressing together, of the way Blake's knee grinded between her thighs while looking for purchase.

In their momentary struggle, Yang leaned back in the chair to help Blake find a more comfortable position. In doing so, the back of the chair collided against the desk behind her, causing the screwdriver to roll free and clatter to the ground. Immediately reminded of the state her weapon was in, Yang gloomily pulled away, leaving Blake to groan at the sudden loss of contact.

Yang raised her hand to gently hold Blake back, eyes off to the side in guilt, "Wait… I… I need to put Ember Celica back together…"

Blake breathed heavily, eyes narrowing in confusion for a few moments before Yang's words finally clicked in her mind. She sighed, lowering her head to avert her eyes from Yang's before nodding minutely, "Alright, I understand." Blake raised her head back up and used a hand on Yang's chin to turn the other girl's eyes back to herself. She gave Yang one final peck on the lips before climbing off, content to allow her to finish with her weapon.

"Sorry-" Yang began but was cut off as Blake quickly shook her head.

"No, no. I should have known better. There's no need to apologize, Yang," Blake smiled warmly and retreated to the bed, pulling out her scroll instead of returning to the book, "Feel free to join me over here when you're ready~"

Yang smiled in return, "Thanks. Shouldn't take me too long."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Blake winked then made herself comfortable on the bed, lying down on her side while lightly trailing a finger across her hip and staring seductively back at Yang, "If it does, then I'll just have to make due with my book~"

Blake grinned at the heat in Yang's cheeks and turned her eyes to her scroll, allowing the moment to pass while the blond struggled internally to turn around and finish piecing her weapons back together. With a monumental force of will, she managed to pull her eyes away from her girlfriend's tightly clad leggings and back to the desk, quickly bending down to retrieve the screwdriver from where it had fallen.

"Hmm…" Blake made the small noise in her throat while Yang got to work, hands furiously working to piece together the pair of gauntlets correctly, "They released the class schedules finally. I was wondering what was taking them so long."

"Really?" Yang asked distractedly, allowing a portion of her attention to pick up on what Blake was saying, "It did take them a while. We had them almost two months in advance last year."

Blake let out another 'hmm' while apparently reading over the news, "Looks like mostly the same line up. Oobleck for Public Relations, Port for Hero Studies, Peach for Semblance Control… hold on…"

Yang heard the uncertainty in Blake's voice and paused what she was doing, turning her head to give her girlfriend a quizzical glance, "What's up?"

Blake's eyes darted between the scroll and Yang, her breath catching as she struggled to speak, "U-umm… so, Miss Goodwitch won't be our combat instructor this year. It looks like she's taken over the role of Assistant Headmaster…"

Yang frowned, "Who's going to teach us to fight, then?"

"W-well… it says here…" Blake tugged at the collar of her tank top, "Our combat instructor is going to be… Qrow Branwen…"

'...'

'...'

' _... What…?_ '

"Here," Blake climbed off the bed to hand Yang her scroll, letting the blond confirm for herself the name that was being displayed on screen. 'Qrow Branwen' was listed next to the field for combat instructor, his name's very existence sprouting a hundred questions in Yang's mind.

' _Where has he been for the past two years? Does he… know about Ruby…?_ ' Her uncle had gone on a mission only a week before the events had transpired on that fateful day, and Yang had had even less luck tracking him down than she had finding information on her mother. Qrow simply vanished off the face of Remnant, presumed dead, though Yang had always hoped otherwise.

"Can you… give him a call…?" Blake asked tentatively.

Yang handed her scroll back and nodded numbly, pulling her own scroll out from her jean pocket, "I… still have his number… It hasn't worked all this time, though. Just gave me a busy signal…"

' _Will this time be any different?_ '

Yang navigated to her contacts and found the entry she was looking for. Her finger hesitated over the name, long since changed from the playful nickname it had been set as before. Fear clutched at Yang's heart. Fear of rejection, fear of the unknown… ' _What if he blames me…?_ '

Yang already blamed herself enough…

The blond flinched as Blake's hand fell on her shoulder, eyes flickering up to see the soothing smile her girlfriend gave, "Whatever happens, I'll still be here for you."

Yang nodded, brought her hand up to lay overtop Blake's, took a deep breath… and pressed the call button.

The room remained completely silent aside from the ring tone that began to play, both Yang and Blake holding their breath as they waited in the dimly lit room. Yang's heart dropped with each passing second, what little hope she had shriveling inside her chest. She began to hesitantly project her wishes out onto the universe, trying to keep alive what few embers remained.

' _Please… Come on, Qrow… Pick up…_ '

'Click!'

"Hello? Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang's momentary hopes were dashed as she paused in confusion, eyes darting to Blake before returning to the scroll in her hand, "Umm… is that you, Headmaster?"

"Yes. I'm glad you called. I was hoping if you might be so kind as to head over to my office. I'm sure you have many questions, considering the circumstances…"

"That's… putting it lightly."

"Well then, I'll be expecting you soon. You may bring Miss Belladonna with you if you wish. She is more than welcome."

Blake's eyes widened, and she looked to Yang for confirmation before speaking up, "Y-yeah. I'll come with," her eyes fell on the currently dismantled Ember Celicas, "Give us... like... fifteen minutes?"

"Of course. See you then!" the call ended abruptly, a dull click announcing that their conversation was finished. Yang sat staring at the scroll, uncertain what to make of anything that had just transpired.

"I… guess I'll get ready?" Blake said uncertainly, giving Yang's shoulder a tight squeeze before heading over to her dresser.

Yang tucked her scroll back into her pocket and nervously began piecing her weapons back together once more, her mind buzzing a million miles a minute. She couldn't make sense of it. Headmaster Ozpin had been the _last_ person she was expecting to speak with once the call went through, if it was even going to in the first place.

It took Yang a few more minutes than it might have otherwise, but eventually she managed to return her weapons to their proper state. With one final check, Yang slipped the gauntlets onto her own wrists in their compact form. They could easily be mistaken for a pair of bulky, yellow bracelets unless the person already knew otherwise.

Yang stood and double checked what she was wearing, making sure it was suitable for meeting with the Headmaster. Blake noticed the motion and gave a small laugh, moving to push her towards the door, "You look great."

"Are you sure I shouldn't-"

"Yang. We can't keep the Headmaster waiting," Blake cut her off, speaking seriously. She lightened the mood a moment later, giving Yang a once over before smiling, "And seeing as I consider myself a _professional_ in all things Yang, I'll have you know that you look _damn_ fine right now."

The statement did serve to chip away at Yang's reservations, and though she wouldn't have minded making the Headmaster wait a few minutes more, she begrudgingly allowed herself to be pulled along by Blake's hand in hers.

It was a lengthy walk to get from the third years' dorms to the faculty building. All the while, Yang's mind searched for some answer to the questions she had, trying to make sense of it all. After a minute, she gave up with a huff, realizing that the answer would hopefully become clear once they arrived at the Headmaster's office.

Once they had found their way to it, Blake and Yang used the student credentials on their scrolls to scan into the front office, unlocking the door and returning the cursory glance that the security detail gave them from behind the counter. One man gave a tight nod, reaching over to buzz them in past the second set of doors. The two girls swept past into the long hallway, but immediately turned to the side in order to climb the stairs to the second floor.

Once there, they continued on down the hallway to the very end. The Headmaster's office was situated in a place that gave him a grand view over the rest of the campus. Yang held Blake back for a moment, pausing with her knuckles raised and ready to rap against the back of the large oak doors.

Blake tightened her grip on Yang's hand reassuringly, and gave her a small nod towards the door. Yang let out a deep breath, glad that the Headmaster had allowed her to come with, and knocked three times against the wood. The sound echoed down the hall, surprisingly loud compared to the near silence that had weighed on them before.

"Come in!" the Headmaster's voice could be heard through the door. It was followed by a small click that announced the lock coming undone.

Yang pushed the door open and began to step inside, but froze as she immediately found herself looking into a pair of crimson eyes. Blake stumbled into her, not expecting the blond to have stopped so suddenly. She knocked her off balance and further into the room. Yang righted herself a moment later, bringing her free hand down to smooth her clothes back out nervously.

Yang's eyes returned to Qrow's. He gave her a somber smile, and stood up from his chair to raise his arms welcomingly.

"...Hey, Firecracker…"

Yang let go of Blake's hand to rush forward. Qrow accepted her embrace, wrapping both of his arms around her back in a hug that left her completely breathless.

"W-where were you? Why didn't you come b-back?" Yang managed to ask the two most prominent questions on her mind, pulling back slightly to look up into her uncle's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Qrow's voice rasped, sounding for all the world like he was just as devastated as Yang, "My mission took longer than I thought it would, and then… well…" Qrow's eyes fell off to the side, no longer capable of looking into Yang's own, "Ruby…"

"Do… do you…?" Yang couldn't bring herself to ask the question.

Qrow seemed to understand regardless, and shook his head roughly, "No, Yang. I don't blame you. Ruby is…" he struggled to speak, searching for a way to convey his thoughts, "You'll… you'll see for yourself…"

' _What…?_ ' Yang frowned in confusion, staring up at the troubled look on Qrow's face, "What do you mean? I'll see _what_ for myself?"

The door clicked open once more, and Qrow broke away from Yang. His eyes remained glued to the floor, clearly ashamed of something that he couldn't bring himself to say. Yang turned, eyes darting to see whoever this newcomer was.

A white Atlas cloak, the hood pulled up to obscure the face completely. Yang recognized her from the cliff side, though even now she had no clue who this girl was. Blake stepped to the side, allowing her further entry. The girl hesitantly accepted, walking a few more paces into the room before standing a few feet from Yang.

The girl's hands trembled, one tightly clutching the fabric of her cloak while the other slowly raised, finding its way to the edge of her hood. Painfully slow, the hood was pulled back, revealing a soft smile, pale cheeks, and a pair of watery silver eyes.

"R…"

"Ruby…?"

In a sweet voice that Yang had never believed she would hear again, the girl replied quietly...

"Hey… Yang…"


	2. The Price We Pay

Ruby smiled sadly, turning back to the vivid blue ocean and the gentle breeze that caressed her face while Yang retreated across the park, heading to the ice cream shop in search of the treat the young girl had requested. The sunlight filtered down through the clouds above, creating enormous pockets of shadow that slowly drifted over the waves.

The light that hit the waves glittered in the spray, a beautiful visual, and one that kept the rapt attention of those sharing the cliff. It was to her own daydreams that Ruby retreated though, closing her eyes to the radiant display before her and imagining herself standing on the beach, as opposed to being held hostage by her own frail body.

The breeze picked up, ruffling her clothes as Ruby took her first steps along soft sand. An entire stretch of the beach lay open before her, ready for the young girl to fly across at a speed unmatched by _any_ that came before. The waves crashed along the shoreline to her side as she set her feet, pushing them down and feeling the sand pressing up between her toes.

Leaving a spray of sand in her wake, Ruby took off along the shoreline. The wind rose to greet her, a welcome friend that granted _life_ to her imagination. Her real arms shook, protesting against the pressure of her small body as Ruby leaned forward into that breeze, yearning for that speed to become real, to leave behind the body that had failed her in every sense of the word and soar across the sands.

With a gasping sigh, Ruby fell back to rest in her wheelchair, feeling her forearms quivering tiredly. She opened her eyes once more, returning to the cliff that Yang had left her on. Silver eyes glared down at her own body. A deep seated grief surged up along with the anger, nearly overwhelming if it had not been so old a grudge.

Ruby hated everything about herself. From her inability to do anything, to the fact that her greatest desires would never be brought to life. She could never truly run across that beach, feeling the wind in her hair brought on by her own quickened steps. ' _I can't even walk…_ '

And so, could never repay her mother for the life that had been given in exchange. Summer Rose had died to bring Ruby into this world, and what did she have to show for it…?

' _Your mother didn't give up her life for yours, just so you could throw it away!_ '

Yang had spoken those words many times over the course of Ruby's life. When the children at school had made fun of her on the first day, when she hadn't been able to go on school trips due to her disability, every time she stayed in class during recess… not wanting to see others doing what she could not…

A few tears fell down Ruby's cheeks, startling her from the dark thoughts invading her mind before she wiped them away. She had to be strong for Yang today. If her sister knew just how terrible the young girl felt… Ruby didn't want her sister to be held back by her any longer. Yang was finally going to be _free_ of her, and as much as that knowledge weighed on Ruby's chest… Yang had her _own_ life to lead.

' _And I'm only in the way…_ '

A deep, guttural roar shattered the calm afternoon air, echoing out across the waters and causing all those around Ruby to swivel in fear. The roar had sounded distant at first, but the next was louder; closer. Ruby struggled to turn around, to arch her back and crane her neck to get eyes on the creature that was approaching. Her wheelchair was facing the ocean, wheels locked and set to face away from the city itself.

Using what little strength she had, Ruby used both hands on one arm rest to lean to the side, pivoting her body until her eyes finally found the monster in question. A Grimm of unparalleled size, blacker than pitch with large bony protrusions and a white mask decorated with angry red lines flew through the sky on a pair of enormous webbed wings. It looked to be in the middle of a fight, thrashing this way and that in its attempts to attack something much smaller in stature.

Ruby was leaning too hard, too far out to one side compared to the dainty body that still remained. With one gut wrenching moment of realization, she felt the wheelchair tip over, spilling her out on to the grass below.

Screams rose from the city itself, along with those around her. The occupants of the cliff gave in to their fears and fled, running to find relative safety among the buildings nearby. The breath had been knocked from her lungs, but Ruby held an arm up weakly, voice leaving her throat in a choked gasp as she tried to call for help.

" _P-please…!_ "

An older gentleman nearby heard her cry, in the middle of taking hold of what looked to be his granddaughter. His eyes fearfully darted between the beast, Ruby, and the small child that clung to his leg. That fear lasted only a few moments before setting into a grim, determined line. With one hand on his granddaughter, the old man shuffled to Ruby's side.

"Can you get up?" he asked hurriedly, trying to offer Ruby a hand.

Ruby shook her head, reclaiming the breath she'd lost in order to speak, "I-I need my wheelchair!"

The old man nodded and tried to pry it up from the ground, but to no avail. Part of Ruby's body remained tangled within the foot rests, preventing the wheelchair itself from being righted. He realized the issue and struggled to fix it, pulling the first, then the second of Ruby's legs free.

His efforts were interrupted by yet another roar, followed by verdant blasts of energy and the beast suddenly plummeting from the sky. Its body clipped the roofs of the nearby buildings before it landed in the park, crashing through trees and leaving deep furrows in soft earth.

"Papi!" the small child wailed, clutching all the harder to the old man's pant leg and pulling him from his brief, panicked stare. The behemoth of a dragon was moving closer to them, the Hero luring it away from the city and towards the cliff itself.

Ruby took one look at the small girl… and knew that her own life meant nothing in comparison.

" _...Go…_ "

The old man's face broke, both fear for his granddaughter and his desire to help fighting against each other in equal measure. Ruby glared up into his eyes, mustered up what little strength she could into her own voice, and shouted.

"GO!"

The man nodded, tears of his own gathering in his eyes. He blinked them away and grabbed a hold of his granddaughter, raising her up into his arms before running along the edge of the cliff face, out of harm's way from the approaching Grimm.

With Ruby's legs at least freed from the wheelchair, she grabbed fistfuls of grass in an attempt to pull herself closer to the edge of the cliff. She could hear the fight drawing nearer, could feel the earth shaking beneath her with every step it took. The Hero's blasts of energy gave off their own distinct whine as well, charging briefly before firing down and opening large wounds across the creature's body.

Ruby reached the edge of the cliff and turned to see the dragon bearing down on her. The Hero had flown closer within range as they fought, tempting the creature ever further to the ocean and away from the city.

Figuring she had nothing left to lose, but knowing her attempt would likely be futile, Ruby brought one trembling hand up to cup her mouth and shouted up at the Hero, hoping against hope that some stray breeze would carry her voice all the way up.

For one heartbreaking moment, Ruby believed her attempt to have failed. At the edge of the cliff as she was, with the wind roaring around her, she could hardly hear her own voice even as it left her lungs. Then the Hero froze in place...

Orange hair swished and vibrant green eyes darted from side to side as the Hero's attention was caught, visibly scouring the area nearby for the source of the noise she'd heard. Those eyes widened as they fell on Ruby, locking with glistening silver that silently pleaded to be saved.

Powerful jaws saw their opportunity and shot forward, snapping shut with a triumphant growl around the Hero's arm. And yet, it had reached too far out in order to do so, its body's weight far too much for the cliff to bear. With a sickening snap, the ground beneath them both gave way. Ruby tried to scream as they fell, but her impact with the ocean surface tore the air from her lungs before she had the chance.

Frigid waters rushed around Ruby, a frothing whirlpool of ocean, Grimm, and stone that all served to churn the deep blue surrounding her. The Grimm thrashed, fighting a losing battle within the confines of the ocean. Ruby spotted a flash of orange among the falling debris, as green blasts of energy fired through the water to carve into the Grimm's flesh. It's struggles weakened, a fierce anger prevailing all the way until the light faded in its eyes.

It's body began to dissolve, black blood swirling in all directions around it while Ruby struggled to hold her breath. She was slowly falling deeper into the depths, incapable of swimming in any capacity. All she could do was watch on, and hold her hand out towards the Hero in the hopes of being spotted among the falling rubble and swirling black blood that pervaded the entire expanse.

The Hero's eyes searched, scouring the depths for the girl that had caught her attention. Green eyes once more found silver, and in a burst of energy, she rocketed towards the girl that was struggling to move; struggling to breath.

A firm hand clasped Ruby's before pulling her in. The young girl only had time to register a strange mixture of coils within what remained of the Hero's stump of an arm before she was forced to avert her gaze. Water rushed around them as they shot through it away from the Grimm's remains, out of the way of the black blood that simmered and steamed within the waters around them.

In a few seconds, their angle shifted upward, and Ruby gasped for breath as they broke the surface and flew further up into the sky. Ruby trembled as she grabbed a hold of the Hero more tightly, hugging herself against the other girl's chest in fear of falling back down to the crashing waves and earth below.

Their angle shifted once more, their course changing to fly away from the immediate area and across the city. Ruby dared to glance down, and saw the buildings themselves rushing by at a speed that _she_ had never even dreamed of. If not for the utter turmoil of emotions boiling beneath the surface and the chill wind freezing her soaked body… she might have been able to enjoy it.

After a minute, their course corrected so that they were headed towards an airfield. A lone white ship rested there, built to a size and scale that Ruby had never witnessed before. 'The Spirit of Dawn' was written across its side in an elegant font, starkly contrasting the ship's rigid shape and design.

The Hero slowed, lowering ever closer to the tarmac before very carefully landing. She held Ruby as tightly as Ruby held her, keeping herself supported until the moment they touched down. The frail girl's feet grazed the tarmac as well, but she wrapped both arms around the Hero as she threatened to let go.

"I-I can't walk…" Ruby muttered weakly, feeling her arms giving without the Hero's support.

That support returned in an instant, holding Ruby around the lower back and pulling her in, "Sorry! I didn't realize!"

Now that they were out of immediate danger and there was no wind forcing her eyes to slits, Ruby could get a better look at her savior. The girl had short, orange hair and bright green eyes. She looked to be the same height as Ruby, though the frail girl couldn't be certain. She was dressed in mostly green, a long sleeve cotton shirt and medium length skirt held up with a tan sash. She wore black stockings on her legs, green lines leading down to ankle high brown shoes.

Ruby shook her head minutely, feeling her pent up emotions beginning to flow after her near death experience. Her body shook, and she broke down in tears while clutching the other girl, "Th-thank you! I-I thought I was… was…!"

Ruby couldn't finish her sentence, her body betraying her once more and leaving her a sobbing mess against the Hero's shoulder. The Hero simply held her tightly, offering up what support she could, emotional or otherwise. It wasn't until seconds later when the sound of a ramp being lowered was heard before Ruby could pull herself away.

Ruby wiped her eyes against her own forearm to blearily look towards the ship. A man exited in a strange contraption of his own, a wheelchair that had been fitted with large crab-like metal legs that walked instead of rolled. His eyes fell on the two of them, then widened upon seeing the arm that the other girl was missing.

"Penny! Are you alright!?"

Penny frowned and followed his gaze to her stub, looking down on it as if only mildly saddened by its loss. Ruby followed the gaze as well, then balked as her eyes fixated on the metal and wiring that made up the girl's insides.

' _Does… does she have a robotic arm!?_ '

"P-Penny dear, I'm sure it would be alright if you set her down now. There's no danger here."

"I can't, Papa! She's like me!" Penny chirped in response, giving Ruby a comforting smile as she began to carry her towards the ship.

' _I'm nothing like her!_ '

"Oh, really?" the man replied in mild shock before recovering, his eyes meeting Ruby's, "My apologies, dear girl. Come. There's plenty of space for you inside," his crab legs spun him around to face back into the ship as he called over his shoulder, "I believe we might have one of Penny's old wheelchairs still lying around…"

As Ruby was carried into the glistening white interior, she could see quite a few men and women in uniforms moving about. They hurried from one task to another, dressed in mostly grey with white accents. Ruby at least recognized the aesthetic as belonging to Mantle, though what they were doing with a veritable flagship in _Vale_ was beyond her.

"What… what _is_ this place?" Ruby asked shyly, only able to speak in a whisper into the ear of her savior.

Penny smiled back, then looked up to gaze across the ship and those that manned it, "This is The Spirit of Dawn! It's my Papa's ship, given to him by General Ironwood to help with his experiments."

"But… it's so _big_ ," Ruby commented, having seen the ship's exterior, "Is it a war ship?"

Penny let out a small giggle, "Not really. It has some guns for defense, but it's really more of a mobile science vessel!"

One of the doors down the hall opened and a brown-skinned girl around their age stepped out, blue eyes spotting Penny as she carried Ruby down the hall. She wore a short sleeved white top with gold bands along the ends, and long, fingerless black gloves that reached up past her elbows. Her navy blue hat and skirt swished as she marched across the intervening space.

"Didn't you say you were going to be careful this time?" she muttered, seeing what remained of Penny's arm and moving to get a closer look, fingers probing around the exposed wiring, "This is going to take weeks to fix!"

"I tried to use my aura, really I did!" Penny protested, flinching away from the girl's probing and almost using Ruby as a shield, "The Grimm bit straight through it!"

The girl looked ready to protest further but was cut off as the older man interrupted, "Ciel. Would you be so kind as to fetch Penny's old wheelchair and a change of clothes? I doubt our guest wants to be carried around for much longer, especially while she's soaking wet."

Ciel immediately stopped and straightened, pivoting on her heel to acknowledge the man with a brief nod of her head, "Whatever you need, Mr. Polendina," her eyes shifted to Ruby, and she gave a slightly apologetic smile before turning back to the man, "Where would you like them to be brought?"

Polendina gave Ruby a considering look, then sighed, "Penny's room should suffice."

"Yes, Sir." Ciel nodded and left, walking with a formal grace before turning a distant corner.

"It isn't much further,' Mr. Polendina promised, continuing down the hall and turning the opposite direction than the one Ciel had. Penny followed, carrying Ruby along with her until they reached a heavily fortified door.

The man leaned forward to press his hand against a pad. The display lit with a green light, a small line running up and down a few times in quick succession to read his prints. The door chimed, then opened with a soft woosh to reveal the brightly lit interior.

Ruby had been expecting a bedroom of sorts, perhaps one akin to those you'd see in the movies that the navy used, with bunks built into the wall. Instead, there were no 'beds' anywhere to be seen. The room was mostly open, the walls lined with what appeared to be various tools and mechanical parts. Off to one side rested a pod of sorts, leaning against the wall. The inside looked comfortable enough, though Ruby didn't see how you could sleep while practically _standing_.

"This is your _room_?" Ruby asked, eyes widely staring about for any sign, any hint that this place actually belonged to someone. Her eyes fell on one of the walls, a large assortment of colored drawings decorating its surface.

"Yup! Nice, isn't it!?" Penny beamed, moving over to one of the low tables in order to set Ruby down on top of it. Penny remained at her side, providing support while Ruby attempted to get comfortable on the hard surface. Her body was still soaked to the skin, shaking from the cold that hadn't been helped whatsoever by the flight there.

Mr. Polendina moved closer in his chair, and shifted one of the legs on to the table so that Ruby could lean back against it, "Penny, dear. Why don't you go ahead and get changed while we wait for Ciel to return?"

Penny grinned cheerily and gave a salute, "Okay!"

She made sure Ruby wasn't going to fall over before flashing her a smile and heading over to the pod that rested upright against the wall. With a quick pressing of keys, the pod's glass door slid open, allowing Penny to step inside before closing it once more. She gave a small wave with her remaining hand, then leaned back while closing her eyes.

" _Transferring in: Three… Two… One…_ "

Ruby's eyes quickly scanned the room for the sourceless voice before they were brought back, a bright green flash emanating from inside the pod. Ruby watched in disbelief as a dull greenish light was pulled from Penny's body, up into a series of waiting cables before coursing out of sight. The girl inside went still, body completely immobile while an overwhelming silence prevailed.

"Wh-what…?"

"Just give it a moment," the man smiled, eyes turning to one of the other walls. Ruby followed his gaze, only then noticing a seam along its center indicating that the walls themselves could open.

They waited in silence for a few more seconds before those doors parted, an illuminated fog flowing free as the crack widened. There, standing with all of her limbs attached in the swirling mist, was an exact replica of the girl in the pod nearby…

Penny rolled her shoulders and flexed her hand, the one that had been previously missing off of her old body, "Much better! Now I can clap!"

Mr. Polendina laughed, "You can door more than clap, my girl," he smiled warmly, shaking his head, "But good on you for having your priorities straight."

"But… but… _how!?_ " Ruby exclaimed, eyes darting between the Penny in the pod, and the Penny standing before her, ' _How is that at all possible!? Is it a semblance!? Some weird magic from those fairy tails Yang reads to me!? What!?_ '

"Well…" Mr. Polendina cleared his throat, giving Ruby a shy smile, "Penny isn't like most other girls. She's a robot. A robot with a soul, in fact."

"She... said she was like _me_ …" Ruby's mind tried to wrap her head around it all, thinking on what had been said up until that point, "Why would she need a wheelchair if she has robotic _legs_?"

"Because I used to be like you!" Penny replied, interrupting the troubled look that her father wore, "Papa made me a new body so I didn't have to be stuck in my old one anymore!"

Ruby trembled, hearing both the answer to her wildest dreams, yet the thing that Yang had always warned her not to do, to never give up on the life she had been given.

"So you're… _dead_ …?" Ruby asked hesitantly, eyes fixated on the body that Penny's soul had been inhabiting before.

"Penny is _not_ dead," Polendina replied firmly, then softened when he caught on to Ruby's fear, "Her soul still remains… In the end, that's all we really are, isn't it? Your soul is inscribed with everything there is to know about you. Your personality, your memories, your desires… Penny isn't dead, because even if her body is gone… her soul carries on in its place."

The door opened before Ruby could reply, admitting Ciel. She pushed a wheelchair in ahead of herself, a small pile of clothes that matched those worn by the other officers on the ship folded atop the seat. They looked to be around Ruby's size, though it was hard to tell.

"Penny, if you wouldn't mind helping…" Polendina paused, giving Ruby an apologetic frown, "Sorry my dear, I didn't catch your name…?"

"R-Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rose. My name is Pietro. Would you like Penny and Ciel to help you change? You don't appear to be in any condition to do it yourself…"

"Uh… umm…" Ruby looked between the other two girls shyly, never having shown herself that way to anyone that wasn't related to her. Her body ached from the cold however, and the day's events had left her in far too poor a condition to manage on her own. With a timid nod, she accepted.

Penny moved forward to hold Ruby upright while her father left, giving them one parting smile before heading out into the hall and allowing the door to close behind himself. Ciel rolled the wheelchair closer and set it off to the side before leaving the change of clothes there along with it. She dug beneath them to grab a towel though, and set it down next to Ruby.

"It would hardly do you any good if we put the clothes on while your body was still wet," Ciel spoke in a clipped, 'just business' sort of tone that brooked no arguments, "Raise your arms so I can get your shirt off."

Ruby was tempted to protest still, her mind searching for any way around her current predicament. Unfortunately, she knew that with her poor circulation and chilled skin, there was the very real possibility of lasting damage. At the very least, she was likely going to be sick for the next couple weeks.

Ruby complied, trying to keep her mind off what they were doing as she was fully undressed. Ciel never smiled nor allowed her eyes to stray, giving Ruby the chance to retain some modicum of composure.

Wanting to help with the distraction and having a million questions on her mind regardless, Ruby returned her focus to Penny, "So… what, um… what's your skin made of? It _felt_ real enough…"

Penny smiled and leaned closer, proffering a hand in front of Ruby so that she could feel for herself the 'skin' that covered its surface. It was soft and squishy, with a firmness beneath that didn't feel unnatural.

"It's synthetic! Made from scratch in Papa's lab. He wanted to make sure that I could live a normal life!"

Reminded of her own currently undressed state, Ruby's cheeks brightened as she glanced up and down Penny's form, "So you're… anamolically correct…?"

"Anatomically," Ciel corrected, scrubbing a little too roughly down Ruby's lower back, "And yes. She is."

Ruby winced, feeling the course fibers scraping against far too delicate flesh. After thinking about it for a moment, Ruby didn't blame her. In retrospect, that had been a rather rude question to ask...

"I can even eat!" Penny replied happily, then paused to scuff her feet against the floor, "I don't really _need_ to though, so I don't bother often."

Trying to lighten the mood, Ruby offered up a smile of her own, "Sounds like the best of both worlds to me!"

Penny brightened, putting a finger to her chin and staring off into the distance for a moment before nodding fiercely, "I think you're right! And I can eat as much as I want! I couldn't do that before!"

The pressure on Ruby's back lessened as Ciel returned to a softer touch, a fact that Ruby was wholeheartedly thankful for. She was certain that area had likely been rubbed raw, if only because she was far too delicate to begin with. Ciel finished up with her back and began on Ruby's front, avoiding her gaze entirely while doing what needed to be done.

"Do you ever… regret it…?" Ruby asked quietly, knowing that it was likely to be another touchy subject. She had wished to leave her own body behind often enough that the question had to be asked, though.

"Nope!" Penny replied cheerily, entirely subverting Ruby's expectations.

"...No? Not once?"

"Well…" Penny fidgeted awkwardly, then gave Ruby a reassuring smile, "I _was_ afraid at first, before… when I was still in my old body… Who wouldn't be? But since then, I've been able to discover so much more about myself! Now I can do all the things I wasn't able to! I'm finally… _me_."

' _Finally me…_ ' Ruby could understand that desire with every fiber of her being. It was all she had ever wished for. To be freed from her prison of flesh and become a Hero, someone that was capable of helping others as much as they had helped her. A savior to those in need.

"Do you want my father to help you as well?"

The question caught Ruby off guard, her unspoken desire being offered up to her before she'd had the chance to voice it. Was it possible? Would she finally be able to fulfill her dreams? Ciel's hands stopped as she waited to hear Ruby's answer, the entire room growing into a silence so deafening that it pounded away in the frail girl's ears.

' _Your mother didn't give up her life for yours, just so you could throw it away!_ '

The memory echoed throughout Ruby's mind, her sister's words ringing in her ears. ' _Would… would I be throwing away my life, like Yang said…?_ ' Or would not accepting the offer be the greater offense? Should Ruby become who she was always meant to be?

' _A… A Hero…?_ '

Ruby raised her silver eyes to stare up into brilliant green, a confidence welling up from deep within now that her mind had been made up.

"Please... Help me become who I'm _supposed_ to be."

Penny smiled widely, stepping closer to lower herself so that she was on an even level with Ruby. She held her hands out, waiting for the frail girl to grasp both with fingers that had been trembling only moments before.

Their hands clasped, and Penny nodded with an overwhelming sense of finality.

"Welcome, Ruby Rose, to The Spirit of Dawn!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the schedule stands, chapters of 'A Soul Unbound' will be released each Sunday, though the time of day will likely change depending on circumstance. I'll always try to aim for earlier in the day if I can.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> \- Sybaen
> 
> A few notes from this chapter:
> 
> Penny was Pietro's actual daughter, instead of only a piece of his soul. She's 15 currently, just like Ruby.
> 
> Penny has spare bodies at the ready. Whether or not they serve a function other than on-hand replacements remains to be seen.
> 
> As Ciel stated, Penny (and by extension Ruby) are 'anatomically correct'. White Rose might be a little odd, otherwise. Not exactly aiming for a 'love knows no bounds!' romance more than it already would be.
> 
> The old man at the monument from Chapter 1 was the same man featured here. Don't know if that was apparent enough, especially since it will have been a week between chapters for many of you. :P


	3. Playing with Fire

"Do you… do you think your father will agree…?" Ruby asked timidly, the confidence she'd had before giving way to cautious realism. She doubted Penny or Ciel could replicate the process and create a new body for her as Pietro had done for Penny, let alone several like the robotic ginger apparently had.

"Well… Papa has been looking for more subjects to undergo the process," Penny shrugged, "He just hasn't been able to find many that were compatible."

"Compatible?" Ruby's heart dropped. From the sounds of it, there was a chance she would be denied through no fault of her own. Was the process too gruelling? Would her weakened body hold her back once more, denying her the chance to discard it completely?

Penny caught on to her diminishing spirits and gripped her hands more tightly, giving a firm shake of her head, "It's not like you're thinking. Most people don't want to give up their real bodies, and many that do… aren't exactly the _heroic_ type…" she eyed Ruby with hesitant hope, "What would you do with a new body?"

Ruby breathed out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes for a moment while the hole in her chest pieced itself back together. She reopened her eyes, staring into Penny's while a small smile tugged at her lips, "All I've ever _wanted_ was to be a Hero. I'd save everyone I could…"

"Good!" Penny chirped excitedly, "I don't see any reason why Papa would deny you if that's the case."

The room was quiet for a moment while Ruby silently cheered, her smile now unleashed fully, along with her rekindled hope. ' _I can finally make my dreams come true!_ '

"What about your family?"

Ruby froze, the smile dying on her lips at the words Ciel had spoken into the momentary silence. Recent events had blinded Ruby to the dangers the Grimm had imposed, not to herself, but to her sister.

"Do you have a scroll!?" Ruby asked the two other girls in the room, eyes frantically darting back and forth between them. Ciel nodded and reached into her back pocket to pull out her own, handing it to Ruby who immediately opened up the dial pad. Her fingers flew across the keys, typing out the number she had been forced to memorize by heart so long ago in case anything happened.

Ruby finished dialing the number and then paused, hesitating as her panic began to clear and give way to more rational thought. ' _Yang was at the shop… and has her aura unlocked… That Grimm couldn't have hurt her…_ '

The scroll slackened in Ruby's hand, drifting down to rest in her lap as she clutched it in both, ' _What if… What if I didn't tell her…?_ ' Ruby was so close to gaining what she had always dreamed of, and Yang would be one of the only people capable of talking her out of it. ' _I could wait until after they've fixed me… I could show up in person, on my own two feet…!_ '

The thought of Yang suffering until then twisted Ruby's stomach to no end. Hadn't she always believed her sister would be better off without her, though? What was Ruby's life even worth? She was a hindrance. A mere blemish on the perfect life her sister could otherwise be living.

' _I can't risk letting her talk me out of it,_ ' Ruby thought firmly. She glanced back down to the scroll and moved her finger from the call button to 'end', closing out of it altogether.

Ciel's eyebrows raised as Ruby handed her the scroll back, "You aren't going to check in?"

"N-no… I'll wait until after…" ' _After I'm not a burden on them anymore..._ ' Ruby wiped the tears away that had been beginning to gather in the corner of her eyes, thinking of how devastated her family would be. It had to be done, though. ' _Even if I need to die first… I want to be the one helping others, not the one that needs to be taken care of._ '

Ciel pocketed the scroll with a troubled frown, then returned to wiping down what remained. After a few minutes, she gave a satisfied nod and helped Ruby into the clothes she'd brought. It was only a mild struggle, Ciel appearing used to helping in such a way. Considering what she'd learned of Penny… perhaps they had been friends, even before the change?

Once she had been dressed fully, Ciel stepped back to examine her work, "We'll get something tailored for you in time. That's just going to have to do for now."

Ruby looked down on herself and couldn't help but let out a weak laugh. The officer's uniform was mostly white and grey, made up of a grey undershirt, white button up long sleeve, and grey slacks that were all oversized for her frail body. Ciel wheeled the chair into place in front of her, then moved her into it with Penny's help.

"You look good!" Penny stated happily, moving ahead to hold the door open for them as they wheeled Ruby out, "We should go find Papa, then find you a room! You're going to be staying here a while, after all!"

"H-how long will it take?" Ruby asked, afraid of keeping her family waiting too long. She wasn't expecting Pietro to make a body for her overnight, but if it was going to take months…?

Ciel was the one to answer, giving a small 'hmm' to herself as she thought on it, "The Professor took years to create the first body for Penny, along with the technology required to transfer her soul into it. Some… _recent_ research helped with that last bit, at least. Penny has only been as she is now for a few months. Now that he's done it once, it shouldn't take nearly as long."

"Are you his assistant? How long have you known Penny?"

Ciel let out a small laugh of her own, and shot the robotic ginger a warm smile, "Penny and I have been friends as long as I can remember. She started getting sick around the end of our Elementary years. I wanted to help any way I could, so I'd still visit whenever my parents would let me. Once I unlocked my Semblance… the Professor was very keen on keeping me around."

Ruby brightened. She loved to learn about the different Heroes in the world, and about the powers that had allowed them to rise above the rest. She'd always wondered what her own Semblance would have been, if she'd ever been able to train as her sister had.

"What is your Semblance?"

Ciel shrugged, "The Professor calls it 'Stasis'. I can stop time within a small area, along with anything that might be in it," her eyes shifted over to Penny sadly before dropping to stare at the floor, "It was really useful in the later days, when Penny was… losing time..."

"Ciel saved me!" Penny chipped in, grinning back at the mocha skinned girl and helping to raise her spirits once more, "Papa wouldn't have been able to complete his research in time without her help."

"That's amazing…" Ruby stated in wonder, giving Ciel a firm nod of approval, "Can you show me?"

Ciel let out a short chuckle, "Not at the moment, unfortunately. I can only use one at a time, and I'm already dedicating it to something else."

Ruby sighed in disappointment, "Maybe some other time then… You said this ship was a science vessel? What else do you research now that Penny has a new body?"

Ciel's eyes darkened, her mouth twisting into a thin line, "The Grimm… The only way for the Professor to convince them to allow his research was if it was in service to the cause. He needed funding, and because of that, couldn't turn Penny into a normal girl. Atlas wanted a weapon, after all…"

"But I'm really strong and cool and I can fly and shoot lasers and-!"

"That's not the point, Penny," Ciel shook her head, "I'm happy that you're happy, but… this life isn't what your father _wanted_ for you."

Penny looked to the ground and kicked her feet against the tile, nervously messing with her hands as she did so, "I know… I've tried telling him that I wouldn't want it any other way, but…"

Ciel nodded, "He thinks you're just trying to make him feel better about it."

"Anything beats _this_ ," Ruby stated, gesturing down at herself in the wheelchair, "Besides, who wouldn't want to be a Hero!?"

"It's a dangerous life," Ciel replied, "Luckily, the Professor took all the precautions he could in outfitting Penny. He even made her spare bodies, like I'm sure you've seen."

"Can you transfer to a new one if you get destroyed?"

Penny smiled lightly, but shook her head, "If my body gets destroyed in the field, then I'll die for real unless my core is salvaged. Otherwise I have to use the pod to change bodies."

"All the more reason to make sure she's got the best tech possible," Ciel added.

"That Grimm _was_ enormous. I'm surprised you managed all on your own!"

Penny's cheeks reddened and she waved her hand dismissively, "It was nothing, really."

" _Nothing!?_ It took out a bunch of rooftops and half the park when it crashed!" Ruby had to stop herself, feeling her breath coming out heavily from the excitement. She took a few moments to relax while Penny rubbed a hand against the back of her head in apparent embarrassment, "Do you think Pietro will give me the same things?"

Ciel interrupted Penny before she could speak, "I doubt it. If Atlas lets him use you as another subject then it'll be under the guise of further testing. I wouldn't be surprised if he gives you an assortment of bodies with different abilities. It was another reason we needed to find the perfect subject. Some of the experimental tech is… fairly powerful, to say the least. It wouldn't do well to put it in the wrong hands."

' _That sounds good to me!_ ' Ruby thought excitedly.

The end of the current hallway came into sight around the bend, a heavily fortified door set into the end of it along with a pair of Atlas droids that flanked either side. Ruby's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of them, never having seen them in person before.

' _Is that what I'll look like… underneath?_ ' Her eyes darted between the droids and Penny, trying to compare both their size and stature. Fortunately, it appeared as if Penny had been built into something else entirely, as she was shorter and much more lithe. Thinking back to the inside parts she'd seen, Ruby guessed that they also hadn't been all that similar either. Penny was far more advanced than the regular droids, even without her soul.

Ciel raised her voice, speaking aloud to the droids as they approached, "Officer Soleil, requesting permission to enter with Project Penny and Guest."

A red line appeared in the droid's visors, sweeping back and forth as they heard and then acknowledged the request. They stepped to the side, allowing their small group to enter into a fairly spacious room. Not unlike Penny's bedroom, this one was similarly decorated along the walls with worktables, tools, and spare parts. Along with those, however, were an array of displays all connected to a rather large computer console.

Pietro finished typing something out as they entered and turned his chair to face them, pointed crab-like legs shuffling through no visible commands of his own, "Ah, glad to see you! I was about to alert the authorities that a pick up was required. Do you know your home address?"

"Oh… um…"

"Actually, we were thinking that Ruby should stay, Papa!" Penny blurted out hurriedly, causing him to pause in the act of dialing up what likely would have been the local police department.

"Stay?" Pietro frowned in confusion, then looked between Penny and Ruby with a worried crease to his brow, "You weren't thinking…?"

Ruby nervously played with her fingers in her lap, gaze downcast before raising back up to Pietro, pleading, "P-please… It's all I've ever wanted… and… I'll use my powers to save people! I want to be a Hero, and this is the only way!"

"My dear girl, what about your family? The people that love you? It… was no easy task, doing what I needed to for Penny. She would have died otherwise, though. You at least could live a normal life."

Ruby's hands tightened in her lap, fingers weakly digging into her palms as they shook, "...Normal? What about this looks 'normal' to you? Normal people can walk, normal people don't need to be waited on hand and foot, normal people have the power to help others! I don't want to live like this!" her eyes raised, fighting back tears while glaring fiercely at Pietro, "I don't want to be a burden! I want to be the one that saves people, that takes care of others!"

Ruby deflated after her outburst, hands raising in vain to try and hold in her tears. She rubbed her palms across them over and over, only for the wetness in her eyes to return a moment later. Her chest shook, threatening to let loose a series of choked sobs that she wouldn't be able to stop once started.

Pietro sighed heavily, sounding like a man defeated, "I have one requirement…" He waited for Ruby to calm before continuing, silver eyes clearing long enough to look up and see the tortured expression on his face, "You have to tell your family. At least one of them. Give them a chance to talk you out of it. I won't let this continue otherwise."

' _One of them…?_ ' Ruby held the back of her wrist against her eyes, thinking while allowing the sleeve to help dry her tears. She let her hand drop and looked back to Pietro, nodding weakly, "Okay… I can do that. Do I need to… call them here…?"

Pietro nodded, "I won't accept your request if it isn't in person."

"Ciel? Can I see your scroll again?"

Ciel retrieved the scroll from her back pocket once more and handed it to Ruby, who just then noticed the comforting hands that both girls had placed on her shoulders. Ruby thanked them both with a quivering smile and opened the scroll, typing out a different number than the one she had previously.

Ruby's hand hesitated overtop the final button for only a moment before she pressed it, bringing the scroll up to her ear tentatively. The dial tone played once... twice... Everyone waited on baited breath until it finally clicked, announcing that the call had finally gone through.

" _Qrow Branwen speaking. Who is this?_ "

Ruby swallowed her panic, "U-Uncle Qrow? It's Ruby…"

" _Oh, hey kid! Who's scroll are you calling from? I didn't recognize the number!_ "

"Um… that's… not important at the moment. Are you still on your mission…?" Ruby's hand clutched one of the buttons on her shirt tightly, trying to focus on what needed to be done.

" _I will be in a day or so. What's up? You don't sound so great… Is everything alright?_ "

"I… I need you to come meet me, as soon as you can. Stuff happened and… You can't talk to Dad or Yang, okay!? They can't know! You just have to come meet me!"

There was a long, drawn out pause before Qrow came through once more, his voice dripping with apprehension, " _Ruby…? What's going on?_ "

"Th-they said I need you here in person. Please, Uncle Qrow… I can explain once you get here… I'm… I'm on the Spirit of Dawn," Ruby looked up questioningly at Pietro, unsure of exactly where in the city the tarmac was located. He wrote quickly on one of his screens, large enough for Ruby to read, "On the… 'Lagoona'? Airstrip."

" _Isn't that…?_ " Qrow sighed, " _I'll be there as soon as I can, Ruby. I'm in Haven, so it's going to take me the better part of the night to get to you._ "

"Y-you don't need to abandon your mission for it… I wouldn't want you getting in trouble…"

" _No. I won't be able to concentrate on anything else if you aren't with Tai or Yang. See you soon, kid._ "

"S-see you soon!" Ruby replied in false cheer, her finger immediately moving to end the call. She held it limply in her hand for a moment, staring at the screen before handing it back over her shoulder to Ciel with a muttered, "Thanks…"

Pietro looked at Ruby with a measuring gaze, rubbing his chin through his thick beard with one hand, "So, you chose your uncle? I believe I recognize the name, Qrow Branwen. Has some connections with Ironwood, if I recall correctly."

Ruby nodded, "Yeah… Uncle Qrow tries to avoid the limelight, but he's captured more villains and killed more Grimm than most Heroes."

' _And he's never told me no…_ '

Pietro nodded, offering up a comforting smile, "I'll accept his opinion, in that case. Until then," his eyes shifted to Ciel, who snapped back to attention, "See to it that Miss Rose is placed in one of our spare rooms and taken care of. It's sure to have been a long day, and I suspect tomorrow may be just as tiring..."

"Yes, sir," Ciel bowed her head for a moment before turning Ruby's wheelchair back towards the door. They exited without another word, Penny leading them once more down the hall and taking a different turn than the one they'd come from.

"Do you think you'll be able to talk your uncle into it?" Penny asked quietly, sparing Ruby a worried glance.

Ruby sighed, staring down at her hands in her lap, "I think so… He loves me like my dad and Yang do, but…" she shrugged uncertainly, "He's around less often, so I think he feels guilty sometimes... If he did say no, it would be the first time."

"Well… whatever happens tomorrow, I hope it's for the best."

"Me too…"

They continued on, turning a few more corners before a high pitched, yet quiet alarm began to sound from somewhere behind Ruby's head. She turned in confusion to see the watch on Ciel's wrist emanating a faint light and emitting the sound. Ciel's face grew nervous for a moment, and both she and Penny picked up the pace after sharing a look with each other.

After rounding another turn, Ruby could see another heavily guarded door. Four droids stood outside it, along with a single male researcher that looked up as they approached. He was dressed like everyone else, though held himself with an air of dignity. He had short black hair, with a stripe of grey along either side that started just above his ears, and sported a thick black mustache.

"Finally, you show up! What were you thinking waiting this long!?"

Ciel handed Ruby off to Penny and stepped forward, dipping her head once more as she had for Pietro, "Sorry, Doctor Watts! We got caught up with something else and-!"

The Doctor cut her off with a glare, raising his hand to press it against the scanner, "I don't care for your excuses! Just use your damn Semblance! It's already been awake for the last ten minutes!"

"Yes, Sir!" Ciel spoke in a rush, stepping into the room quickly and leaving the others to wait outside. While the door remained open, Ruby was in no position to see past either the droids or Watts, who stood in the door and watched the proceedings.

There was the sound of keys vigorously being pressed from within the room, then the release of a pressurized airlock. Immediately, Ruby felt something itching at the back of her mind, her worst fears and doubts flooding to the surface and creating a piercing pain behind her eyes.

" _Do you think you can hold me forever!? When my brothers and sisters come to free me, I'll-!_ "

The voice was sourceless and grating. It appeared from all places at once, but most firmly from within Ruby's own skull. She could feel it crawling within, scraping its way through her thoughts and memories with no regard for her own mind attempting to block it out.

As suddenly as it had begun, it ended. There was another sound of rushing air, and the pressure in Ruby's mind vanished, replaced by a dull ache that caused her to bring her hand up and massage her temple.

Ciel exited the room and closed the door behind herself, giving a small shake and rubbing a hand up and down her forearm, "There. It should be locked in Stasis for another twelve hours. Sorry, Doctor..."

Watts was rubbing at his own temple, similar to Ruby, "I don't need your _apologies_. I need you to be here on time. We still don't know as of yet how powerful their psychic abilities are. Just because your dear little Miss Polendina isn't affected does not mean you can slack off."

"I didn't mean to, really… It won't happen again."

Watts appeared to relax as the pressure began to fade, allowing everyone to breathe easier while the lingering effects were no longer sustained, "See to it that you don't." He nodded firmly and left, walking up the hallway they had come from in the direction of Pietro's room.

"What was that?" Ruby groaned, finally able to relax as well and raising her eyes questioningly to Ciel.

Ciel stood up straighter, but avoided Ruby's eyes as she spoke, "It's part of our research. We can't tell you unless you've been accepted into the program. Until then…" her gaze returned to Ruby with an apologetic frown, "It's safer if you don't know."

"But… I could hear it _speaking_ …"

Ciel grimaced, "Even that may be too much to know. Forget about it for now, if you can. Focus on what you're going to tell your uncle tomorrow."

Ruby nodded her acceptance tentatively, and the three set out once more. It was only a couple more minutes before they found their way to a long hallway, doors spread along each side in short intervals. Ciel checked her scroll while Penny pushed Ruby along, finally stopping in front of one door in particular and placing her hand on the scanner in order to open it.

Penny stopped the wheelchair next to the door, "Place your hand on the scanner, too. That should let the system register you as one of the room's occupants."

"Oh, okay," Ruby raised her hand up from where she sat and rested it against the pad, feeling a slight heat beneath as the scanner swept back and forth in either direction. The door made a small chime sound, the word 'Registered' now displayed across it.

Penny wheeled Ruby into the small room. As she had expected before, there was a bunk bed set into the wall like a medium sized alcove, lightly furnished with a white mattress, blanket, and pillow. Aside from that, there was a single desk in the opposite corner and a shelf set into the wall above it. The rest of the room was barren, only offering up five feet of space in either direction.

"It's a little… cramped…"

Ciel nodded, "Most of the space on the ship is dedicated to the various facilities. The crew's room and board is left to the bare minimum, unfortunately. You'll get used to it soon enough though."

Ruby smiled, "I'll get used to it, huh? Sounds like you think I'll be staying."

"Papa didn't say no!" Penny said happily, "That means you have a better chance than most!"

"Just make sure to convince your uncle," Ciel stated lightly, then gestured for Penny to push Ruby closer to the lower bunk, "To that end, you definitely need your rest. It's already… nine, and I doubt your uncle will take that long to get here."

Ruby accepted, though part of her wished to stay up and talk to Penny more on what she was potentially going to go through. ' _There will be time for that later on, though…_ ' As long as she convinced Qrow, then she'd have nothing to worry about.

Ciel pulled the blanket back, then helped Ruby to at least take off her button up shirt. Being naked in front of strangers twice in a day was more than she could handle though, and she waved Ciel off, choosing to remain in her grey top and slacks.

The two girls helped her on to the mattress, stepping back to let her position herself beneath the blanket. Ruby got as comfortable as she could in the strange bed, feeling a definite lack of cushioning compared to her own at home, and sighed tiredly.

"Thanks… Will the two of you be there with me tomorrow while I'm trying to convince my uncle?"

"Of course!" Penny replied easily, giving a mock salute, "It'll help to have me there. Then your uncle can see that it really isn't so bad!"

Ciel was silent for a few moments longer in thought, "If you want me to be, then I will. I don't know what assistance I can really offer, though. This will be between you and your uncle in the end. The final decision rests with the two of you."

Ruby did her best to suppress a yawn and nodded her understanding, "You're right. I'll need to be at my best!"

Penny headed for the door and pressed a button so that it would slide open into the wall, letting out a final cheer of, "Goodnight, Ruby!" before disappearing out of sight.

Ciel smiled to show that she shared the sentiment and stepped out as well, turning off the light before allowing the door to close behind them and leaving the young girl alone in the darkened room. Ruby rolled on to her side so that she was facing the wall, allowing her eyes to drift shut.

After the day's events, she was truly tired. Her mind wandered to painful thoughts of Yang and her father, wondering what the two of them were doing. Had her father found out yet? Had they tried contacting Qrow?

' _I hope he doesn't accept the call…_ '

The last thing Ruby needed was for her entire family to march on to the ship and take her away before she had a chance to be fixed, a chance for Fate itself to be righted.

Ruby's heart sank in her chest, knowing that no matter what, the two blondes in her life would be devastated regardless. There was no good solution to her problem. They would simply have to bear the pain until she could reveal herself to them, and begin life again as the new and _improved_ Ruby Rose.

With those thoughts weighing heavily on her mind, it was an hour later before the frail girl finally managed to find her way into a restless sleep.

* * *

Arthur stumbled out of the pub, barely managing to catch himself against the railing and saving himself from a nasty tumble down the steps. He leaned against it and groaned, feeling the piercing headache that had returned and refused to leave no matter how much he drank.

' _Follow me~_ '

The whisper of a thought passed through his mind, causing him to stir from his slumped position and take a look around. It was late, an hour or two after midnight, and the Vale streets around him were entirely desolate. Tall halogen street lamps flickered in their sockets, drawing his attention further down the sidewalk.

' _This way~_ '

Another whisper. Arthur blinked blearily in confusion, but found himself putting his feet in motion. He _wanted_ to walk in this direction. It was where he needed to go in order to find some relief from the sharp pain gnawing at his mind.

"Hello?" Arthur's own voice surprised him, some small part of his conscious mind fighting against… something. That panic began to seep into his movements, slowing his steps to a halt after walking only a dozen feet from the pub.

' _Safe~_ '

The singular word had a mesmerizing effect, the panic fading once more into the background and becoming a mere annoyance that was easy to ignore. Arthur's steps continued slowly, finally bringing him to the end of a dark alleyway.

' _Enter~_ '

The incessant voice in the back of his mind screamed, stopping Arthur in his tracks after only a single step. Something was wrong… something was _very_ wrong.

Before he could fully recover and regain control of his own mind, wispy black tendrils shot out from the dark interior of the alleyway, wrapping around Arthur's body and pulling him in with a strength that he could not resist. He had only a moment to glimpse the black, fog-like creature, and see the bone white mask that decorated its head where a face should have been, before he opened his mouth to scream.

Immediately, that fog suffocated him. Arthur could feel it choking him, working its way down into his insides while the voice became louder, the whisper raising to a shout.

' _Submit~,_ _ **submit~**_ _,_ _ **SUBMIT~!**_ '

Arthur's eyes rolled into the back of his head as the final tendrils disappeared down his throat, the mask itself changing into the same incorporeal form in order to enter his body and possess his mind. He found himself no longer in control, a passenger to the whims of the Grimm that had taken over his body.

The Grimm raised the hands that had belonged to Arthur Watts, looking itself over while a wide grin spread across its face. It paused a moment after, tilting Arthur's head to the side while sifting through his memories.

"Aaaah…~ I _knew_ I smelled one of my kin on you~ You shouldn't have left them awake for so long. We were able to hear their call~" the creature spoke with Arthur's mouth, though its thoughts pounded far more incessantly, "The Spirit of Dawn, was it~? Why don't we pay it a visit?"

Arthur wanted to scream, but lacked the control to do so. He could only retreat inside his own mind, fleeing from the talons that pierced into his subconscious and fed off the information held therein. It was pain beyond pain, yet nothing he did helped to keep the creature at bay.

The Grimm threw Arthur's head back, letting out a silent call that echoed across the city of Vale. Through its additional senses, Arthur could feel the connection it made with one, two… five others, each answering the call and repeating back a single word that focused on where he knew the Spirit of Dawn to be.

That single word sent a shiver of dread down his spine.

' _Kill~_ '

**Author's Note:**

> This will be an AU, more along the lines of MHA in the sense that its a Hero and Villain driven society, while the Grimm are mysterious entities unto themselves. I wanted to create an AU for this instead of once again generally following canon, so expect many changes to come!
> 
> Hopefully chapter 2 will help to further set up the world. I'll likely be updating this less frequently than my other fics, though only time will tell. I have a commitment to them and those that have followed their stories up until now. None of them are exactly finishing any time soon.
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> 
> \- Sybaen
> 
> A few notes from this chapter:
> 
> Atlas, Haven, and Shade are all schools within cities on the same continent as Vale. None of them are a world apart like in canon. Each is known for being the best in their own particular city (Mantle is the name of the city that Atlas Academy resides in, instead of sharing the name with the city).
> 
> Aura and Semblances still exist, as does Dust.
> 
> That's it for now. Much more will surely follow!


End file.
